Signal attachment for index cards



,1 H. N. PITCHER SIGNAL ATTACHMENT FOR INDEX CARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1948 EVE mm H mm 3,

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H-N-PITC Patented Oct. 9, 1951 UNITED STATES Application July 16, 1948, Serial No. 39,141 In Canada J time 30, 1948 '7 Claims.

This invention relates tosignal attachments for visible index record cards and the object is to provide means for supporting-andguiding a plurality of signals so that they may be slid past each other to different indicating positions alon one edge of the card.

In the preferred embodiment selected for illustration a plurality of signals are slidably supported for movement along one edge of the card by guiding means including signal separating means along which the signals are moveable so that they can he slid past each other in: either direction. Inthe case of a card equipped with two signals, arranged in the usual signalsupporting and guiding'sheath extending along the lower edge of the card, the signal separating means may consist of a signal separating member arranged in the sheath so that one signal lies between the face of the card and the separating member while the other signal lies between the separating member-and thefront wall of the sheath. If more than two signals are employed the number of separating members may be increased to enable each-signal to be slid past the remaining signals Another object of this invention is to provide the signals and separating memberslwith engaging means cooperable with eacho'ther to ro sist accidental sliding movement of'the signals in such. manner as to permit. the signals to beintentionally slid by hand from-one point to another against the resistance of thecooperable engaging means.

The above and other objects and characteristic features of this invention will bemore readily understood from the: following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- Referring more. particularly to the drawings,

5 designates a conventional index card-holder consisting of a sheet of cardboard or other suitable material provided with laterally projecting end tabs 6 at its upper corners adapted to be suitably secured in pivotal retainingmeans of an index card tray (not shown). Card holder 5 is slotted, as indicated at I, for the insertion of the upper corners of an index card 8' in retaining engagement with the holder. The lower marginal portion of holder 5 is fitted into a pocket forming sheath 9. Sheath 9' is formed from a suitable strip of transparent material folded upon itself to provide a closed bottom I'll and front. and rear retaining walls I l and 12 respectively. Rear wall l2 extends upwardly a substantial distance to flatly engage the rear surface of holder 5, while front wall I l extends upwardly and has its upper end infolded to provide a downwardly projecting lip M which is disposed between the inner surface of front wall H and the front surface of card holder 5. Sheath '9. is secured about the lower marginal portion of card holder 5 by staples l5 or other suitable means which extend through front wall II, card holder 5 and rear wall l2 adjacent the side edges thereof. Staples l5 close oil the ends of sheath 9 in the proximity of the inturned lip l4 leaving a substantial side opening, indicated at I6; adjacent the: closed bottom I'll of sheath 9.

The index card 8 to be mounted on card holder 5, has its lower marginal portion inserted in sheath 9- between. front retaining wall ll and card holder 5. The upper corners of card 8 are inserted through slots l for locking engagement therewith. The card may be provided alongv the bottom with scale readings appearing behind the transparent front wall ll of the. sheath. How- Fig. 1 is a front view of a visible index card holder with the assembled parts embodied in my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the assembly shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view showing aseparating strip.

Fig. 4 is a view showing a. sliding-signal.v

Fig. dis a sectional view taken along the section line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig.- 6 is a diagrammatic view of a card (in. re duced proportion) employed in my invention.

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view'of astrip (in reduced portion) employed in my invention.

Fig.8 a sectional view (enlarged) taken along thesection line 8-8 :of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view (enlarged) taken along the section. line 99- of'Fig. 1.

ever, I have found .it more desirable to provide a separate strip [8 having suitable scale readings thereon.

As strip I 8 is usually elongated and narrow to overlie :the bottom marginal portion of card 8, retaining tabs l9 are provided which extend laterally from the ends of the stripadjacent the bottom edge. Thus, when strip l8 is inserted in sheath 9- in front of card 8, tabs l5 will project beneath staples [5 into side openings 16 of the sheath to secure the strip therein.

A signal 2.0 comprising a narrow strip. of stiffened material pointed at one end isfolded upon itself adjacent its pointed end to provide a relatively short upturned arrowhead 2 land an elongated upwardly extending tailpiece 22. Signal 20 is arranged vertically in sheath 9 with its "arrowhead 2l projecting upwardly to overlie the exposed face of strip 18 and its tailpiece 22 interposed between the rear surface of holder 5 and sheath retaining wall 12 to project a substantial distance beyond the upper edge of wall Strip l8, card 8 and card holder 5 are provided with registering slots 24 extending upwardly from the central portion of their lower edges to provide a passageway 24a from front to rear. A signal separating member 25, consisting of an elongated strip of transparent material is arranged in sheath 9 to project through passageway 24a so that one half of the member is disposed between the rear face of holder 5 and rear retaining wall l2 of the sheath while the other half is disposed to overlie the face of strip l8 and the arrowhead 2| of signal 25 to separate signal from the front retaining wall ll of the sheath. Signal separating member is preferably provided with a laterally projecting tongue 26 which is inserted in side opening l6 of sheath 9. The portion of member 25 which covers the front face of strip i8 is provided with an upwardly projecting marginal extension 2! to prevent that portion of the separating member from sliding through passageway 24a. Extension 21 and tongue 25 serve to secure the separating member in the sheath. A second signal 28, con sisting of an elongated strip of transparent material is arranged to slide through passageway 24a so that one portion of said signal lies between the rear face of card holder 5 and se arating member 25 and the other portion lies between separating member 25 and the front retaining wall I! of sheath 9. With this arrangement it will be seen that signal separating member 25 forms separate channels for the signals 29 and 28 so that signal 28 may slide back and forth in front of strip IS without interference from signal 20. Signal 28 is provided with an outwardly protruding bubble 29 which serves as a mar er to indicate a desired point on the face of strip I8. The upper edge of bubble 29 1S scored to provide a lip 38 adapted to lap around the inturned lip I4 of front retaining wall H. The arrangement of lip 30 with lip 14 permits sliding movement of signal 28 but prevents accidental removal of the signal from the sheath. The arrangement of signal 28 in passageway 24a also serves to prevent removal of the signal from the sheath.

The surfaces of signal 28 and signal separating member 25 are provided with corrugations 34 and 35 which engage one another to cooperatively serve as means for resisting accidental sliding movement of the signal. Thus it will require a deliberate action to slide signal 28 in its channel against the resistance of cooperating corrugations 34 and 35.

In operation, the scale readings along the bottom of card 8 or preferably strip I8 may be of any suitable nature. For example, anobjective for a years turnover in business is illustrated. Assuming the years objective to be 100%, certain average percentages are required to be attained each month to reach the years objective. For this reason, it is desirable to place signal 28 at the required percentage for a specific month in order to determine the quota for that month. If the percentage required for the end of August is 75% by way of example, signal 28 is moved until arrowhead 2| covers that'figure. Signal 28 which is readily slidable, can then be utilized in determine the progress in attaining the desired quota. In order to indicate that the quota has been exceeded, it is necessary for the sliding signal 28 to pass the signal 20. With my arrangement of the signals in separate channels, the one signal can pass the other signal without interference and without disturbing the. stationary signal when moving the other past it.

If it is desirable to have other progressive signals, these may be inserted in the manner set forth in connection with signal 28 and further separating members may be appropriately inserted to provide separate channels for each of the additional signals.

Although I have called for a slotted passageway 24a through strip l8, card 8 and card holder 5, various modifications of this arrangement could readily be resorted to. For example, the slot 24 through holder 5 as well as card 8 could be eliminated. In such cases the extension of signal 28 and the projection of signal separating member 25 will extend between the card and holder or alternatively the strip and card. Then again it may not be desirable to utilize the passageway 24a but to extend the separating member 25 and signal 28 between the front wall of the sheath and strip l8. In thisevent any suitable retaining means could be employed such as one or more additional bubbles which are adapted to engage the inturned lip M of front wall -I 1.

Having described what I now believe to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that various modifications and alterations may be resorted to without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a device of the character described, a card holder, a pocket member comprising a transparent strip of material folded upon itself to form a closed bottom and upwardly projecting front and rear retaining walls, said pocketmember being arranged along one edge of the card holder to enclose the marginal portion thereof, an index card adapted to be mounted on said card holder with a marginal portion of said card fitted in the pocket between the front retaining wall and the card holder, said card and card holder being provided with a slotted passageway within the pocket member, a signal comprising a'narrow strip of stiffened material folded upon itself to provide a relatively short upturned indicator and an elongated upwardly extending tailpiece, said signal being arranged vertically for sliding movement in the pocket member with its indicator end projecting upwardly to overlie the exposed face of the card within the pocket and its tailpiece interposed between the rear surface of the card holder and the rear wall of the pocket to project a substantial distance beyond the upper edge of the wall, a transparent signal separating member arranged in said pocket the full length thereof and projecting through said slotted passageway so that one portion of said separating member is disposed between the rear face of the card holder and the rearwall of the pocket and the remaining portion is disposed to overlie the exposed face of said card and the indicator portion of the signal, and a second signal consisting of an elongated strip of transparent material arranged horizontally in said pocket'for slidable movement across the face of said card, said second signal being slidable through the card and card holder passageway so that one portionof said second signal lies be,-

tween the rear face of said card holder and the portion of the signal separating member at the rear of the card holder, and the other portion lies between the portion of the signal separating member in front of the card and the front wall of said pocket to permit sliding movement of said second signal to any non-overlapping position relative to the first mentioned signal across the face of the card and to pass said first mentioned signal in overlapping relation without interference from said first signal.

2. An arrangement for an index device, comprising an index-card receiving sheath substan tially U-shaped in cross-section, a slotted member arranged in and extending substantially the full length of said sheath, said member being provided with a slot located at a point spaced a substantial distance from the vertical margins of said mem her, said slot being positioned between and covered by the sides of the sheath, a stationary signal-separating strip removably fitted in and extending substantially the full length of said sheath, said strip passing through said slot, a signal slidably arranged in the sheath to travel over one side surface of the portion of the slotted member located at one side of said slot, said signal being arranged to travel in a guideway formed by and between said surface of the slotted member and an overlying opposing portion of said strip and a second signal slidably arranged in said sheath to travel over the same surface portion of the slotted member which is traversed by the first signal, said second signal having an elongated body portion passing through said slot and being arranged to travel in a guideway formed by and i between the signal-separating strip and the side of the sheath overlying said surface of the slotted member which is traversed by the signals.

'3. In an index device arrangement as set forth in claim 2, an index card secured to said cardholding sheet and having its lower portion fitted in said sheath and provided with a slot registering with the slot in the card-holding sheet and receiving the signal-separating strip therethrough.

4. An arrangement for an index device, comprising a card-holding sheet provided with a slot located in the lower portion thereof at a point spaced a substantial distance from the side edges of the sheet, an index-card receiving sheath, substantially U-shaped in cross section, embracing and exending along the full length of the lower portion of said sheet with the sides of the sheath overlying said slot, said sheath being secured at its ends to said sheet, an index card secured to said card-holding sheet and having its lower portion fitted in said sheath and provided with a slot registering with said first-mentioned slot, a stationar signal-separating strip removably fitted in and extending substantially the full length of the sheath, said strip passing through the registering slots of the card-holding sheet and the index card so that the exposed surface of the lower portion of the index card located at one Side of the slots is covered by the portion of the strip located at the same side of the slots, a signal arranged to slide in the sheath between the said exposed surface of the index card and the covering portion of the signal-separating strip, and a second signal arranged to slide in the sheath between the last-mentioned portion of the signal-separating strip and the side of the sheath overlying the said exposed surface of the index card, said second signal including an elongated body portion passing through said slots.

5. An arrangement as set forth in claim 4 m eluding an indicia bearing strip arranged in and extending the full length of the sheath, said indicia bearing strip being positioned between the first signal and the exposed surface of the index card traversed by said signal and being provided with a slot registering with the slots in the sheet and the index card and receiving the signal-sepa rating strip therethrough.

6. An arrangement for an index device, comprising a card-holding sheet adapted to sup port an index card on the front side thereof, an index-card receiving sheath, substantially U-- shaped in cross section, embracing and extending along the full length of the lower portion of said sheath, said sheath being secured at its ends to said sheet, an index card fitted against the front side of said card-holding sheet and having its lower portion fitted in said sheath, an indicia bearing strip removably fitted in and extending the full length of the sheath between the front side of the index card and the front side of said sheath, said indicia bearing strip being provided 7 with a slot located a substantial distance from its vertical edges and within the sheath, a stationary signal-separating strip removably fitted in and extending substantially the full length of the sheath, said strip passing through the slot in the indicia bearing strip so that the exposed surface of the portion of the indicia bearing strip located at one side of the slot is covered by the portion of the signal-separating strip located at the same side of said slot, a signal arranged to slide in the sheath between the said exposed surface of the indicia bearing strip and the covering portion of the signal-separating strip, said signal being shaped to embrace the lower edge of said sheet with an end portion of the signal projecting above the sheath to provide an accessible tailpiece by means of which the signal may be moved to various positions of adjustment along the sheath, and a second signal arranged to slide in the sheath between the last-mentioned portion of the signal-separating strip and the side of the sheath overlying the exposed surfaces of the index card and the indicia bearing strip, said second signal having an elongated body porion passing through the slot in the indicia bearing strip.

7. An arrangement as set forth in claim 6, with a slot formed in the lower portion of said index card to match said slot formed in the indicia bearing strip and such that the concealed portions of the signal-separating strip and the second signaloperate in the space bounded by the rear side of the index card and the front side of the card holding sheet.

HUGH N. PITCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,876,236 Jackson Sept. 6, 1932 2,006,945 Doble July 2, 1935 2,232,193 Wassell Feb. 18, 1941 2,296,244 Finch Sept. 22, 1942 

